The Last Gate
by OkamiMars
Summary: Another Patryn has escaped from the Labyrinth but soon Haplo will find out she is not like the others. Her very presence will threaten to tear his world apart.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: I wrote this story 13 years ago when I first read The Death Gate Cycle and only recently rediscovered it. I decided to read the books again so I could make the story better and, as a result, I have re-written almost the entire thing. I hope you enjoy it.  
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The exit of the Labyrinth was within her sight, the exit of this horrible and deadly prison where so many centuries ago the Sartan locked up her entire race, the Patryns, to "rehabilitate" them. All she needed to do was cross a huge barren plain that offered no shelter whatsoever. Great. She was crouching under the shadows the trees offered her, scanning the apparently safe and empty area in front of her. But she knew better than to expect anything inside the Labyrinth to be safe. That kind of naive thinking had cost many their lives. The runes that covered her body weren't glowing. There were no immediate threats close by. If only she could reach the gate before anything became aware of her presence...

She decided to make a run for it. She was extremely fast and there wasn't a single place to hide anyway. She sprang like a wolfen from her hiding place and sprinted towards freedom.

The Patryn was almost halfway across the meadow when her tattooed skin began to glow blue and red. Danger. She kept running. Something scrambled out of the forest at the edge of the plain and ran after her, hunting her. The earth shook under the weight of the creature and she dared not to look back and lose speed. She knew what was hunting her, the smell had given it away. Pure instinct and fear made her legs ran faster even when her brain wanted her to turn around and fight. Her tattoos were glowing brighter, making her skin itch and burn. The creature was gaining terrain so fast she could feel its hot breath on her back.

The sound of the creature's race stopped for a second and a shadow loomed over her.

"Shit!" She braced herself for the impact.

A huge body hit her on the back. They got tangled with the impact and rolled for a short distance, her runes protecting her from the chaos of claws and fangs that were trying to rip her apart. When she finally managed to free herself, she rolled on the ground and was on her feet again in no time, her body tense, her daggers already in her hands, staring at the thing that had tackled her. The way to the gate was blocked by a small red dragon, no more than a dragonling, but it meant the mother must be close and she was doomed.

The irony of the situation ripped a humorless laugh from her throat.

So close...

The Patryn felt a warm liquid sliding down her forehead, dripping over her right eye and partially blocking her sight. It was probably a head slash caused by a sharp claw. The smell of her own blood filled her nostrils and her enemy's too. The dragon clicked its fangs, its tongue slicing the air, as if it already was tasting the glowing meal in front of it.

She ignored the pain. She had learned to cast it aside years ago so she could focus on survival. Although, she had to admit, this time survival didn't look very promising. "Let's look on the bright side," she thought, "I'll probably die here but not before I take this little bastard down with me."

"Oh, you think so?" the dragon's voice resounded inside her brain. "I'm looking forward to tearing that tasty flesh off your bones."

"You can try!" she growled with an adrenaline-filled smirk on her face.

The dragon opened its mouth in reply to sputter flames at the woman but she had already constructed a defensive rune structure that shielded her from the fire that would have charred her skin. She tried to roll out of the way and surprise the creature by attacking one of its flanks but before she could get close, a searing pain in her right arm made her scream and drop the rune-inscribed dagger she was carrying in that arm. The magical runes on her skin should have protected her from the dragon's attack but it was powerful and its strong jaws had managed to pass through her defenses and almost break her bones. Almost, but not quite. She spoke some runes through gritted teeth and sent a bolt of electrical energy across her skin. The dragon wailed and freed her arm. A kick to the throat and a quick slash from the dagger left the dragonling half-blind and enraged. It lost all sense of purpose and let its rage guide its movements. The creature wasn't interested in playing with its prey anymore; it wanted to kill it quickly. And that's exactly what the Patryn was hoping for. She knew that letting your hatred getting the better of you made you clumsy and prone to make fatal mistakes.

Even so, the dragon was a mighty creature and the battle turned into a confusing blur of fire, fangs, claws, sharp tail, magic and dagger. It left the woman wounded, burned. All she felt was pain and blood on her skin, her magic and strength forsaking her as the seconds passed. But the will to survive, to live, was stronger than the alluring pull of death... and so she channeled this will to her left hand and into the bloody dagger she was still holding and waited for an opportunity. And her patience was rewarded when the dragon stood on its hind legs and lifted an arm to strike the killing blow, leaving the still tender skin on its chest, for it was young, unprotected. With a wrathful scream, she sank the dagger with all the strength she had left. The creature wailed and, trying to rid itself of the agonizing pain, sent the Patryn tumbling sideways to the ground, nearly knocking her out.

The last thing she heard was a painful lament, a dragon's lament. She was lying on the grass and the dragon was dead, with her dagger piercing its heart. Darkness threatened to embrace her completely.

For a second, she considered giving up and not fight back this time. It would be so much easier to just die and end the pain and the never-ending fear... A sigh escaped her lips.

"No..."

Her life's spark refused to douse. She half-opened her eyes and saw the last gate just a few feet away from her. She could have sworn the Labyrinth was mocking her... No, the Sartan, they were surely laughing at her, somewhere, because they have won again their cruel game. Hatred fueled that inner spark that was fading away; she was not going to let them win, not this time.

With a groan, she tried to move, only to be paralyzed by an unbearable pain. Something was broken. She lay there, panting, unable to think until the pain somewhat diminished. She needed to heal herself, at least enough to be able to crawl. Moving her good arm slowly but surely, she managed to touch her useless hand with the back of her left hand to complete the circle of her being and start the healing process, the sigla on her skin glowing with a faint blue light. The world around her faded away...

An ear-splitting growl shook her awake a few minutes later. The mother dragon.

Her guts clenched with a terrible fear and she began to crawl towards the exit, too weak to do anything else, too stubborn to let herself die. Although the growl didn't sound close yet, she knew she didn't have much time left so her sight and energy were now completely focused on reaching the promised safety behind the last gate.

Suddenly, the gate opened. There was someone, a man, silhouetted against a soft light coming from the other side of the gate, a light so beautiful that the Patryn gasped and felt like crying. Somewhere deep inside of her, a fierce resolution to reach the light behind the man fueled her dying body.

It was this very same light that revealed the crawling woman to the man who had opened the gate. It was Xar, the Lord of the Nexus, the first Patryn who had escaped from the Labyrinth, the oldest, most powerful of his race. He had been preparing himself mentally to reenter the dreadful place. Even after all these years, the fear always came back with the same fierceness as the first time he went back into the Labyrinth to help his people.

He saw her, a tangled mess of skin and blood, stubbornly trying to reach freedom. Before he could react, the dragon's deep roar shook their very bones, making the runes in his skin flare and burn. He frowned and hurried up to where the wounded Patryn was, his mouth already molding runes into a magical defense in case the dragon got to them before he could rescue the woman. His eyes took the whole scene in with a quick look when he reached her, the dead dragon, the traces of the battle. He allowed himself a second of admiration for the Patryn's courage and skill and then proceeded to help her to her feet. The Lord noticed that the woman's tattoos were barely glowing, as opposed to his own, which were now burning wildly red and blue, every instinct in his body urging him to escape. She didn't have much longer. And neither did he if he didn't hurry up. The woman held on to him but refused to let him carry her. She had to walk through that gate. She needed to. The Lord let her do it; he knew how important it was to get out of the Labyrinth on your own two feet.

Still, he urged her on and half-dragged her out of there. The Last Gate closed behind them, muffling the dragon's angry growls, and the Lord told her the two words he said to every Patryn that escaped from the Labyrinth: Never forget.

Twilight covered the Nexus like a mantle, filling with a soft light that beautiful city.

"I'm free... I made it. I'm finally free..." Those were her last thoughts before she sank into the sweet arms of oblivion.


	2. Chapter 2

Something wet licked Haplo's face once. Twice. On the third time, Haplo moved his hands and grabbed a furry neck, pushing it away from him. He had regained consciousness at the first lick but didn't open his eyes until after he successfully pushed away the one that was licking him. Haplo found himself lying on the deck's floor of his ship with a black, non-descript dog grinning over him.

"Hey, boy. It seems I passed out again, huh?" Haplo petted the dog, a smile on his lips but upset at himself for having allowed Death's Gate to beat him again. Every time he went through it, he blacked out and it was irritating not to be able to control it.

The dog whined and licked him again in an attempt to reclaim its master's attention from wherever his mind had strayed. Haplo absentmindedly scratched the dog's head. "What's the matter? Are we home?"

The dog barked happily and trotted over to one of the ship's windows, wagging its tail. A warm light was bathing the deck, caressing Haplo's limbs with a welcoming touch that put him in motion. He stood up to join his dog and left his self-reproaches on the floor; he wanted to look at the city that was his home now, the Nexus. It felt good to be back. It felt even better to know that he had left the madness of Pryan, the world of fire he had just visited by orders of his Lord, behind. But the warmth that had spread inside his chest didn't last long. Haplo looked down at the runes tattooed on his hands and frowned when he remembered how his magic hadn't been good enough against the terrible force he had encountered on Pryan. But his mission was complete and that was all that mattered. He was sure his Lord would discover a way to control the tytans that roamed the jungles of Pryan, destroying everything in their path.

The Patryn shuddered, shaking off the unwelcome memories, and allowed _Dragon Wing_ to glide over the twilight city for a few more minutes before he walked over to the steering stone that would guide the ship down to the landing site.

Once he made sure everything was in order, Haplo climbed to the upper deck and assessed the damage there. He frowned; it would take him some time to repair his ship but that would have to wait. The Lord of the Nexus was expecting him.

The dog had followed Haplo up and, seeing the green grass stretching before it, barked and glanced questioningly at Haplo. _Can I?_, its expression seemed to ask, highlighted by the pair of white eyebrows above its intelligent brown eyes.

"Knock yourself out," Haplo replied, a quiet smile on his face. The dog barked again before jumping off the ship and ran like a maniac, too happy to feel proper ground under its paws. Haplo chuckled. He followed the black dog and headed to his Lord's palace.

The Lord was standing in front of a window when Haplo entered the study. A fireplace crackled on the back wall of the room, warming the air within.

"Welcome back, my son. How was your trip?" He asked Haplo without turning his back.

"It was everything you hoped it would be, my Lord."

"Excellent." Xar walked towards Haplo and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me everything." 

Hours passed inside Xar's study. Haplo did most of the talking while the Lord of the Nexus listened, only interrupting him to ask questions or make a remark on something he found interesting. The dog followed the conversation closely at first, enjoying the retelling of their adventures on the way too humid world for its taste but it lost interest when the harsh language of the two men filled the room with images of power and war and hatred. That and the dreary, constant sound of the Patryns' voices became a hum that soon lulled the dog to sleep... 

"That is all, my Lord," said Haplo when he finished his detailed report, fighting the urge to rub his tired eyes.

"You did very well, son. I'm satisfied with your work." Xar allowed himself a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You have given me invaluable information that will further our plans."

Haplo nodded, accepting the praise, not that happy himself with how things had went in that strange world. Facing the tytans had been a... disturbing experience for him.

Xar noticed Haplo's discontent and frowned. "What is troubling you, my son? Is there something you haven't told me yet?"

"No, my Lord." The younger Patryn quickly recomposed his face. "I'm just tired, that's all."

"Of course. I should let you get some rest. Your journey wasn't easy."

"Thank you, my Lord." They both stood up. The dog woke up when it felt its master move.

"Come on, boy." Haplo smacked his thigh and urged the dog to follow. The dog raised his hind in the air, front legs stretched, shook himself and barked. It started to follow its master.

"Haplo, before you leave, there is one thing you should know."

Haplo stopped and turned around to look at him. "Yes, my Lord?"

"There is someone else living in this house now."

Haplo raised an eyebrow and immediately thought of Bane, the child he had brought to his Lord from Arianus, the world of air. But Xar couldn't be talking about Bane. Haplo already knew the kid lived there. "What do you mean?"

"Today another Patryn escaped from the Labyrinth and she is going to stay with us."

"My Lord?" Uncertain, Haplo didn't know what else to say. His Lord had never done something like this before, except with him. There must be a reason Xar thought important that Haplo should know about this. He waited to receive more information before making up his mind on the subject.

Xar, carefully studying Haplo's reaction, carried on. "I found her just behind the last gate, mortally wounded. She was dying when she crossed the gate, just like you, Haplo. And by what I saw, her power could almost measure up with yours. She defeated a red dragon, only a dragonling but, alas, a deadly vicious and powerful creature nonetheless, single-handedly."

This stunned Haplo. How was it possible that there was someone who could perform such a feat besides the Lord of the Nexus? A quiet respect for this unknown Patryn grew in Haplo's mind. Admiration, even. Yet, he had heard the same admiration in Xar's voice when he talked about her and it stirred something deep inside of him, a pang of an emotion he could barely recognize, like an irritating itch, that he quickly squashed as he would an insect. The dog whined and stared anxiously at its master.

Before Haplo could open his mouth to reply, Xar spoke. He could read Haplo like an open book.

"If I didn't know you better, son, I'd say you are jealous. I hope I'm wrong. Jealousy is a weakness. Hatred is power. You should know better than anyone that you are my most loyal and beloved follower. Yet, she is one of our own and could prove to be a valuable asset for our plans. Now, go get that deserved rest, my son, and leave me. I have much to ponder about." The Patryn turned his back on Haplo and walked to his desk.

Haplo silently winced at the gentle rebuke but accepted it. His Lord was right. He always was. He knew he had been dismissed and was angry with himself for this failure.

"Of course, my Lord. Excuse me."

He left the room, the dog at his heels.

There were far more important things to be focused on at this time. He purged himself of the weakening feelings as he walked away, and renewed his faith on his wise Lord, who knew what was doing. He was suddenly fiercely glad that another Patryn was free, one more in the army of gods that would soon conquer the sundered worlds, as was their right. And considering what his Lord had said about this Patryn, she would be extremely useful.

Haplo walked across the halls of Xar's palace with the dog trotting at his side. Or, at least he thought the dog was following him but when he reached his room, he realized the dog had disappeared.

"Dog? Where did you go?" He called out, annoyed. He was too tired and wanted to get some sleep.

The dog's tail disappeared around a corner at the end of the hallway where Haplo was standing.

"Hey, boy! Get back here!" Haplo waited but the dog didn't return. "Dammit..." He almost left the dog to his wanderings and entered his room but something made him take a step towards the place he saw the dog's tail instead of the doorway. Just as he reached the corner, he caught a glimpse of the dog strolling into one of the empty rooms of the palace.

"Dog, where are you going? That's not our room. Come on, I'm too tired to play..." A tired frustration had crept into his voice. He followed the dog into the room and was about to tell him off when the sight in front of him stole the words from his mouth and left only silence behind.

The dog was standing beside a bed, wagging its tail like crazy, a huge lolling grin planted on its face. Lying on the bed was a woman, deeply submerged in the healing sleep of their race. Haplo sensed the dog was about to bark so he hissed, "Shut up! You're going to wake her up!" The dog looked at him and the eyes seemed to say _Oh, please, after all your shouts, you think one of my barks is going to wake her up_. Haplo frowned and ignored the dog. He knew he should drag it out of the room and leave before he disturbed the sleeping Patryn but he couldn't break his gaze away from her. She must be the one Xar told him about...

His eyes started exploring the new territory that stood before them, the admiration that had been planted by Xar in his mind now taking roots somewhere inside his chest.

Long, brown hair with white at the tips framed a heart-shaped face. A face that looked calm, at peace. He could see the traces of a life of hardship in the lines of that face. Strength too, even in her sleep. But there was something else there, something... luring, like the promise of real safety and peace hinting at the corners of her mouth if he could only steal a smile out of her lips, if he could only make the lid-covered eyes look at him...

A wet nose gently touching his hand broke the spell that had taken hold of Haplo for a few seconds and, looking down, he saw the dog giving him a warning look. Only then Haplo noticed he had been getting closer and closer to the bed. To her...

The dog yawned and nuzzled Haplo's hand again before its master had the chance to jump back into the river of fascination that seemed to flow whenever he stared at the sleeping woman. It was tired and wanted to go to sleep now that its curiosity had been satisfied.

"Ok, boy, let's go to bed..." Haplo whispered, still enthralled, and began to walk towards the woman's bed. The dog woofed quietly. Haplo turned to look at him and, with white eyebrows raised, the dog's expression told him, _I think that's not your bed, master_. Haplo blinked and frowned, feeling the blood rushing to his face. The realization of what he had been about to do hit him like a hammer and he stormed out of the bedroom, mad at himself. What was wrong with him tonight? Mindless impulses, crippling emotions, were escaping the tight control he always exerted over himself and he couldn't afford to lose control. Not now. Not ever. He marched quickly back to his room, not even bothering to see if the dog was following.

Pushing aside all his thoughts, he was fast asleep before long.


End file.
